Birmingham City were today at last able to accelerate the transfer of £9 million striker Christian Benitez.

The Ecuadorian star has obtained a visa and was due to enter the country for his medical.

It has been a frustrating wait for player and club since a deal was agreed with Mexican side Santos Laguna.

But now the fine details were set to be tied up and although Benitez has broken his leg and had a shoulder operation in the past eight months, Blues believe he should pass his physical examination.

Benitez has cost Blues £6.2 million with a further £3 million in add-ons.

However, a squabble has broken out between an agent, Barry McIntosh, and the club.

McIntosh claimed he first put Blues on to Benitez and had a mandate to do the deal, only to be sidelined in favour of Blues’ own man, David Sullivan’s pal Barry Silkman, a former Crystal Palace, Manchester City and Leyton Orient winger turned agent.

McIntosh has apparently reported Blues to FIFA and the FA, although the club deny any wrong-doing.

Alex McLeish, meanwhile, was continuing to sift through likely candidates to fill an important midfield role.

McLeish wants a ball-playing schemer and yet again Rangers’ Barry Ferguson name has cropped up.

Ferguson is understood to be keen to move to St Andrew’s and McLeish has inquired about him.

But Big Eck’s stance has hardly changed since his first approach several weeks ago in that he would like a player in the Ferguson mould but not necessarily Ferguson himself.

There is concern that Blues would be better off with a younger buck as Ferguson, at 31, may not have the same mobility of old.